Zenith Order Monks
The Zenith Order Monks are one of two Folk who occupy Zenith. They have an Overlight bond with the other Folk, the Hamanu, and worship the violet light of Wisdom above all. The citadel monasteries of the Zenith Ordersstanding like crown's upon the mountain peaks serve as the shard’s primary centers of spiritual practice. Standing stoically against the brutal elements of the mountain peaks, these perfectly carved monolithic sanctuaries house thousands of Monks, each pursuing the Path — as dictated by the original teachings of the Diamond Queen and by the traditions and realizations of the lineage and teachers that have followed. Disciplined outwardly so as to experience a boundless ecstasy of wisdom within, the monastic aspirants seek to comprehend the Overlight and its expressions. With the lightning-forged swords of compassion and awareness, the Zenith Orders seek to rid themselves of all obstacles standing between them and the prize of enlightenment. Divisions of gender and age do not exist within the orders, as these are seen as dualistic obstacles. Men and women are treated entirely equally, and ritual texts and the methods of meditation, art, and fighting are expected to be mastered by all disciples. Hair is entirely removed to invoke a minimalism of appearance, complemented by thick warm tunics, warm skirts, and shapeless flowing robes with long triangular sleeves. Huge fur-lined cowls with bell-shaped wraparound capes are worn when the chill is extreme. Despite these ideals, the orders are made up of living, breathing beings. Shortcomings are inevitable. Politics and cruelty arise, as they would anywhere. While their philosophies espouse the unconditional connection of light between all sentient beings, the Zenith Orders are exclusively populated by Haarkeen and Hamanu. Some think the reason for this is that their founder was Haarkeen and shared friendship with a native Hamanu. Scientists say that it is because the Haarkeen and Hamanu seem like cousins, albeit strange ones, with their comparable physiology. In the meantime, the orders are populated by countless Haarkeen men and women who long ago heard the wisdom spoken by others who had made the pilgrimage to those snowy pinnacles near the top of the world. Seeking balance, and perhaps a Hamanu bond of their own, they too somehow found their way up past Banyan and Quill to live their lives in the ice and wind. The pilgrimages have now mostly stopped, though not entirely. Gone are the times when large numbers emigrated from Haark. The Zenith Order Monks are a Folk and a culture unto themselves, separate from that great city-shard. Still called away from home to find meaning among strange environs and stranger Folk. THE VARIOUS ORDERS Although they are unified in the shared mystical experience of the native Hamanu and their disciplined monastic companions, the Order is split into multiple monasteries. The organization of the Zenith Orders varies slightly by monastery. Differing in their traditions and lineages, they argue over minutiae and what practices form the best support for understanding. * Crystal Wind Monastery * Monastery of the Silent Stone * Monastery of the Diamond Queen's Palace * Cave Yogis INITIATION PROCESS No matter their monastery preferences, all Monks enter as novices, with their hair intact and brown smocks that mark them as people still of the world of lust and fear. After proving themselves reliable and finding the approval of a teacher within their order’s higher ranks, the aspirant has their head shaved and is formerly initiated into the lowest tier of the order. Years of meditation, banal chores, grueling physical conditioning, and rote memorization of prayers and histories await them. Only after the fundamentals are mastered is one given more prestigious duties, while instruction in advanced awareness and esoteric combat arts begin. But before any duties are assigned, the Monk is taken to the Silver Precipice — each monastery has one. It is a perilous overhang at the edge of a cliff from which the valley below cannot be seen. It is here that the new Monk sings the songs of the Boundless Mirror and has a vision of the Hamanu to which they will be bound. At the same time, an equivalent custom is performed among the Hamanu so that the bond is assured to be one of synchronicity, not the fulfillment of some grotesque spiritual entitlement. After this, a special ritual is performed that joins the two in religious practice and friendship. Together they will begin the arduous path toward perfect awareness, acting as mirrors into each other’s flaws and gifts.